Pages

Sunday, March 31, 2013

My family cancelled Easter lunch due to multiple members working, so we only had one stop to make. We went to my husband Mick's parents' house. I took some leftover mashed potatoes but I knew that my FIL was making "my" sweet potatoes so I figured between those two things, I'd get by.

When we got there, we talked about the sweet potatoes and then he showed me that he made the ham without any glaze or anything (and it was really good) and the corn on the cob was just cooked in water so everyone else could add butter afterwards but I could eat it too. Wow. I can't even express how I felt. After all the comments and jabs I have gotten (not just from them of course), he really went out of his way to make sure I could eat a meal with them. The gratitude I feel today is an unexpected blessing. I hugged him and thanked him at least 3 or 4 times while we were there!

Saturday, March 30, 2013

It is Easter weekend and we are having a party next weekend for our friends who just got married. So we are housecleaning, doing yard work and doing a little shopping. I tried making several recipes also while I was Spring Cleaning. I'm surprised to find I have enough energy (at least more than I have had in several years past) to do any real Spring Cleaning.

I spent Friday doing laundry after cleaning the washer and dryer out, deep cleaning bathrooms, and taking apart the stove hood to clean. It was crazy hard work but satisfying to see things progressing. It's also quite a workout.

I made Creamer (no photo)! I had corned beef (Trader Joe's) with Simply potatoes and Sprouts raw sauerkraut for brunch.

To hold me over until dinner, I tried this. It worked but it was like a candy bar. Yummy but not good for travel.

Snack from Whole Foods

Saturday morning, I decided to try this before heading out.

Buckwheat groats with tropical fruits and coconut

I went to the eye doctor for my eye exam. I kept blinking during the glaucoma test and the (what is the girl called?) said she'd have the doctor do it manually. He examined my eyes and I thought everything was going kind of normal and then he said he wanted to look at my eyes again. He explained that there was scarring on the top half of my left cornea, my astigmatism has gotten worse, and he didn't feel that I should be wearing contacts right now. If my eye specialist gave written permission, he would write a new prescription but he thought it wasn't good for my eye health. He implied that the specialist should dilate my eyes before making that judgment; Dr. M hasn't done that either time I've seen him.

I could feel the trepidation building as the conversation started and continued. If I can't wear contacts, am I going to wear glasses? I don't have "current" glasses. I haven't worn glasses in public in 25 years. I hated wearing glasses. I don't want to wear glasses. So he measured me for glasses. I couldn't pick out new frames by myself so I went home. I cried all the way home.

My husband Mick, who has perfect vision, tried to console me but he doesn't understand. It sucks to lose something because of health reasons. I knew when I first researched MS that the insidiousness of it was the way it takes things from people, maybe a little at a time, maybe not. When each thing is looked at individually, it seems like no big deal to many people (without MS). But it is really one thing after another after another for years and years and years and it wears on me. It's hard to be...it's hard to be ME when MS is fucking up my body, my eyes, my life. It sucks balls.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

A guy at work brought chili and he asked me about all the ingredients before he made it. It was really good. And it was neat to be able to participate in the (it seems constant) feasting in the office for once.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

I dont' remember where I saw it now but a website I follow suggested using a microplane zester to grate macadamias as a substitute for parmesan cheese. It looks about the same but I don't think it is the same!

Sunday, March 24, 2013

My friend S is one of my shopping buddies and wanted to hit the new outlets. She sent me a text that she would bring lunch because she can't eat soy. I found that pretty hilarious. I reminded her that I haven't eaten soy in about a year and a half so if I could eat out, she probably could too.

navy scarf

She somewhat recently had an allergic reaction to seafood and got tested, in the process finding out that she can't have soy and a couple other things in addition to seafood. We ended up going to Yardhouse where the waitress was very accommodating, checking ingredient lists for us.

During our shopping adventure, I was looking for shorts and jeans but couldn't find any that fit correctly. However, I found a lot of dresses on sale and purchased a lot for work from White House Black Market and Banana Republic. I also used my gift card to purchase the large red Lodge Dutch oven at the Kitchen Collection store.

Mick has been wanting to do some burger things he's seen, so we made dinner together (a rarity, but becoming more common). I started the onions to caramelize and made chipotle mayo using my special mayo and 2 chilies in adobo sauce. I used some Daiya cheese on my hamburger. He had "real" cheese and a bun and thought dinner was incredible. It was kinda fun to cook with him.

So yummy

I decided to make cupcakes since he was helping out. I used my silicone cups for the first time. There were 12 and there was a little more batter, so the rest went into my mini muffin pan. Those turned out better but they were all good. The ones in the silicone cups just seemed wet on the bottom half but the top half was perfectly done, so I don't think I'll use the cups anymore. I only frosted the cupcakes we ate. The frosting is very sticky and the cupcakes were soft so it was kind of messy but very yummy. I would like to make these again and maybe add walnuts.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

I almost know what I'm doing in the rose garden. But the veggie garden is a challenge. Things have to come out and it is really hard to get them out. Especially if other things don't have to come out yet. And I have weak hands. The asparagus fern and the giant cauliflower that didn't give me any cauliflower were the ones that got me frustrated and weepy. But Mick helps me when it is too much.

Gemini

Rio Sambo

Rio Sambo and Tropicana

Aloe

Citrus (lime on left, lemon cut back since frost in front, dwarf orange on right)

Walnut

"The Farm"

Corn and squash

Pecan

Apple

Pomegranate

Fig

Onion. WTH is that?

Brussels Sprouts gone wild

Brussels Sprouts (under the wild thing)

strawberries

lettuce and mustard greens coming in

radishes and cilantro and spinach coming in

onions (next to the Brussels Sprouts)

Swiss Chard (yep, it is giant)

Swiss Chard shading beets

work in progress--pulling stuff out. Empty spot was cauliflower and this...

Friday, March 22, 2013

I'm going to check out the neighborhood Bunco. I think I'll wear what I wore to work. It's supposed to be potluck but I didn't leave early enough to cook (!) so I picked up hummus from Pita Jungle and cut up veggies from my garden. I'm taking a tasty beverage with me too.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

I had lab work done on Friday so I called my endocrinologist's office to find out if I need any changes to my medication. I got a call back that everything looked normal so I should continue at my current level of Synthroid. Wow, it's so unusual to hear the word "normal"!

can you see the blurry bird?

I also saw Dr. Q today and he pointed out my progress since starting to see me, that I am doing better, even if I don't feel like it all the time.